Chapter 86: Surprise

Chapter 86

Surprise

Since helping Mu Rongying and Chunmei escape from Baihua Brothel, Wang Dongpo had not had the opportunity to speak with Chunmei. After all, she had moved to stay at Kang Wang’s palace. Although Chunmei couldn’t remember anything, deep down, Wang Dongpo still hoped she was his sister—the last family member he had left in this world. When Chunmei stepped into the room, Wang Dongpo was sitting at the tea table by the window, holding a tattered red hair ribbon. Seeing her, he stood up in excitement.

" A’You!"

He blurted out the childhood nickname of his sister before quickly realizing his mistake.

"My apologies, Miss Chunmei. I lost myself for a moment."

Chunmei knelt down to him.

"To my savior, if you had not cared for me that day and hadn’t asked Lady Boss to send people to rescue us, there would be no Chunmei standing here today. Whether or not I am your sister, I already accept you wholeheartedly as my benefactor. Not only would I be willing to be your sister, but I would even be content to serve as a horse or a mule if you wished."

Wang Dongpo hurried to help her up.

"Please, rise. I did not help you because I thought you were my sister. No matter who it was, if they were in such a situation, I couldn’t just stand by. Besides, without Lady Boss’s willingness to help, I wouldn’t have had the strength to save you alone."

Chunmei stood, studying Wang Dongpo. He was a young man in his twenties, tall and slender, with a handsome face. Unfortunately, there was constant sadness reflected in his eyes. If she could, she truly wished she could claim to be his sister—perhaps then, this sorrowful man might find some happiness. But alas, she had no memory of her childhood and no knowledge of who she was or where she came from.

"Do you feel any familiarity with this hair ribbon? This was what my sister used to tie her hair before she was taken. She struggled so hard that her hair came undone, and this ribbon fell to the ground. I secretly picked it up. We were ambushed by soldiers so suddenly that we didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye. This is the only thing I have left of her."

Chunmei gently took the ribbon from him, cradling it with care. Though it was old, it was clear it was made from fine silk, indicating that Wang Dongpo’s family was of high noble rank. Even a young girl’s hair ribbon was of considerable value. She softly stroked the fabric while listening to him recount his family’s past.

"We had another older brother and sister. I was the third child, and you..uh... A’You was the youngest. We used to argue all the time. It’s ironic, now that we’re apart, she’s the one I think about the most. Maybe it’s because I never had the chance to say something kind to her. If I could see her again, just once..."

His voice trailed off, thick with emotion. Chunmei quickly bowed her head, unwilling to see his tears.

After a moment of silence, Wang Dongpo continued,

"Will you be returning to the capital with Young Miss Mu?"

Chunmei nodded, still not daring to look up at him, afraid she might start crying herself. In truth, she desperately wished to have him as her brother. On the outside, he seemed cold and indifferent, but deep down, he was likely very lonely.

"When you return, could you try to uncover more about your past? Perhaps...you really are...A’You,"

He said softly, the name of his little sister filled with tenderness. Chunmei gently handed the hair ribbon back to him, and Wang Dongpo carefully tucked it back into his pocket.

"Third Brother..."

Chunmei blurted out, unable to stop herself. For a brief moment, Wang Dongpo’s eyes lit up with joy. She continued,

"Even if we don’t know for sure yet, it doesn’t matter. From now on, I intend to call you that. Let me be your family."

Wang Dongpo smiled and nodded, reaching into his sleeve to pull out a small silk box.

"I was unsure whether to give this to you before, worried it might be inappropriate given the customs between men and women. But since you’re willing to be my sister, this is my gift to you. Please accept it."

Chunmei opened the box and found a fine green jade hairpin inside. She thanked him profusely,

"Thank you, Brother. I will wear this hairpin every day."

After their conversation, the two returned to the main hall. Kang Wang was preparing to leave when a maid entered to announce,

"Young Furen, the Hou has arrived with guests to see you."

Song Qilin frowned and asked sternly,

"Which Hou!?"

The maid, startled by the General’s harsh tone, quickly answered, trembling,

"The Hou, the grandfather of the young masters and young miss."

Song Qilin turned to look at Nie Shuang, who almost wanted to raise her hand to hold her temple. She had purposely not mentioned this to him. She didn’t want him to know that the Hou had come all the way here to bother her. Even though it seemed that the Hou had accepted her, she had hoped the old man would leave quietly. Why had he shown up just when Song Qilin was here? She could only hope that these two hot-tempered men wouldn’t get into an argument. She had heard that ever since she ran away, Song Qilin hadn’t returned to the Hou Manor and hadn’t seen the Hou or the Elder Furen.

As expected, the Hou was as impatient as ever. The maid had barely finished speaking when he barged in without waiting to be shown in. Upon seeing the people in the room, he was stunned for a moment.

"Qilin! What are you doing here!?"

Then, his gaze swept across the room, landing on Kang Wang and Young Miss Mu, filling his expression with confusion.

Though he kept to himself, he was well aware of the happenings in the royal court. Young Miss Mu was known for her extraordinary beauty, and it was widely heard that she was about to be sent into the palace as a concubine. Why, then, had she appeared at his daughter-in-law’s mansion?

Before he could get an answer, the sound of multiple footsteps followed into the room. Upon seeing each other, both parties were left in stunned silence, mouths agape in surprise.Elder Furen, Nie Ran, and Xiao Yi Niang, Nie Shuang’s parents, had arrived as well!